Transformers: Generation 2 (franchise)

Generation 1 continuity family « Generation 2 » Toyline Cartoon Commercials Marvel comic Fleetway comic Coloring books Story pages Manga Manga special LCD game

Transformers: Generation 2 was the first of many rebirths for the Transformers brand. Although the original Transformers franchise had never stopped producing toys in Japan or Europe, the North American line had completely disappeared for nearly two years when Generation 2 launched in 1993.

The Generation 2 franchise featured the following primary components:

• A toyline
• A European toyline
• A cartoon series
• A US comic book series
• A short-lived UK comic
• One UK Annual.
• Some coloring books

Although the Generation 2 cartoon was merely a set of repackaged Generation 1 cartoon episodes (featuring the flashy, computer-animated Cybernet Space Cube), the Generation 2 comic book was a direct continuation of the story from the G1 comic which had ended at issue 80.

Generation 2's toy commercials are noted for an early use of CGI animation (including depictions of some characters who had very few fictional appearances anywhere else.) A subset of the commercials is also noted for hilariously bad rap music.

The Japanese version of Generation 2 followed the animated continuity rather than the comic book continuity. The Japanese G-2 storyline was told through a combination of:

• A series of story pages.
• A manga series packaged with the instruction manuals.
• A manga special, "The New Battle!!", published in Comic Bom Bom.

Generation 2 ended in 1995 in all markets due to lagging sales. While Takara continued to release their other main transforming robot toy line, the Brave Series, Hasbro shuffled its boys-toy lines over to the recently-acquired Kenner offices, and gave them the task of re-inventing Transformers with something fresh and new... Beast Wars.

In 2010 the Generation 2 line would be re-imagined as Generation 2: Redux by Fun Publications for that year's BotCon.